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Drivers heading north from Auckland on Boxing Day face possible delays from the resumption of central city roadworks and the closure of two of the Harbour Bridge's clip-on lanes.
Rail passengers must also make do with replacement buses across much of the region, to allow a hefty construction push by hundreds of Ontrack workers at multiple sites, most notably throughout the Newmarket junction to Mt Eden on the western line.
The Transport Agency hopes enough holidaymakers have left the city to minimise pressure on the Harbour Bridge during the closure of the northbound clip-on from 2am on Friday, for resurfacing and repairs to welding damage from a $45 million structural strengthening project.
Traffic normally using the Curran St onramp from Ponsonby will have to reach the bridge via Fanshawe St.
Agency northern operations manager Joseph Flanagan acknowledged Boxing Day would be busy as Aucklanders flocked to shopping mall sales and other activities.
But he was optimistic three lanes left for traffic in each direction would cope for much of the time, in the absence of normal commuter peaks.
"There will be a lot of activity during the day but we don't tend to get morning and afternoon peaks - it's more like a weekend - but we'll be asking people to spread their trips out during the day if possible."
Mr Flanagan reminded drivers to consider using the alternative SH16 route through Helensville, and to consult www.trafficnz.info website for congestion updates.
Electricity lines company Vector and Auckland City are meanwhile urging drivers heading from the central business district to the bridge to avoid the city end of Fanshawe St, which will be reduced to one westward traffic lane for cable trench excavations. That follows the lifting of a city council-imposed moratorium on roadworks in the lead-up to Christmas, after weeks of traffic congestion around Vector trenches in Quay St.
Newmarket retailers are relieved Ontrack has postponed plans for contractors to work on the Remuera Rd bridge over the southern railway line this weekend.
The rail agency has pulled in construction crews from throughout New Zealand for a three-week burst of round-the-clock track reconfiguration work around the site of a new station at Newmarket, and through Khyber Pass to Mt Eden Prison to duplicate the line for electric trains.
That will also allow a second new station to be built beneath Park Rd, between two road bridges which are being replaced to provide clearance for overhead power lines. But Ontrack has agreed to leave the Remuera Rd bridge alone until next month.
